Summer w a twist
by shadowritergirl
Summary: When the gangs are invited to Stormicon for summer break, things take an mysterious and unexpected turn for the worse. And the only way to fight back is when the most surprising person has to win the Cross Country/ All Races Race...
1. Chapter 1

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Stella shouted, throwing a pillow at her friend, Musa Black.

Musa groaned and cursed when she saw the time. 7:00. Once again, she had only gotten three hours of sleep. She drug herself out of bed and pushed Stella out of her room. She sighed and fell back on her bed, leaning against the headboard. Her cell phone went off. She snatched it up and looked at the ID. She smiled when she it was her boyfriend, Riven Ross.

_2day's the day! 3 mo. w/out any grownups! Breakin' the rules w/out a care in the world! ;)_

Musa's fingers flew as she typed a response._ LOL. I no. Stell just woke me up. Gtg pack. Ttys! XOXOXO._ Send. Musa pulled her two suitcases and backpack out of her closet. She quickly packed a variety of items sure to make Riven fall for her on some days and other days beg to see her. 3 swimsuits, 1 robe, 8 tank tops, 7 skirts, several pairs of jeans, several pairs of shorts, T- shirts, Tennis shoes, 7 pairs of heels, riding boots, heeled boots, combat boots, and dresses. She shut her suitcases and threw her private stuff into her backpack and got ready herself.

"Welcome to Ross Stables and Ranch!" Chloe Ross yipped, excitedly.

Riven rolled his eyes, and turned to Musa slightly. The girl was wearing a red spaghetti strap tank and Wrangler blue jeans with her brown and pink cowgirl boots. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail that showed off her shoulders and neck.

"Come on! We'll show you to your rooms." Chloe's voice snapped Riven out of his trance. Riven shifted to where both of Musa's suitcases were under one arm. He took her hand in his free one, leading her into the house. He climbed up two flights of stairs before opening a door to a room at the end of the hall.

"Oh, my!" Musa exclaimed. Riven smiled to himself. He had done the decorating room himself. It was a red room with blue musical notes and posters of Musa's favorite singers and bands. There was a full wall of windows, overlooking the hills and valleys of the ranch and all the horses grazing peacefully on the grass.

"It's beautiful!" Musa exclaimed, whirling. She tossed her backpack on the queen size four poster bed. It made a clinking metal sound. Riven inhaled deeply. He now knew what was in that thing. Musa had always had a wild side. Hers was kinky. Pinning him down. Controling him. Playing with him. If she had plans for the stuff in that pack... Riven shuddered slightly. He didn't want to think about it.

"You think you know what's in there, don't you?" Musa purred, seductively. Riven's breath hitched again.

"Maybe." He whispered, shutting and locking the bedroom door. He leaned against it and watched as Musa dug into her bag, pulling out a 2 pairs of handcuffs. She turned, grinning in a mix of wicked and seduction.

"Willingly or do I have to force you?" She asked. Riven gulped. He shed his jacket and threw it in the corner of the room, as well as his shoes, socks, shirt and jeans. He walked to the bed and leaned against the headboard. He closed his eyes as Musa handcuffed his wrists to the bedposts. Her fingers trailed down his arms, tracing his biceps. Her fingers stopped on a spot in between his shoulder and collarbone. Riven gulped again.

"A tattoo? One that says my name? Interesting. But a punishment for not telling me." Musa murmured. Riven exhaled. He heard Musa rummaging as Musa looked for something else in her pack. It stopped after a few seconds. He didn't open his eyes as he felt a soft cloth cover his eyes. Blindfold.

Musa's fingers trailed down Riven's body, right to the waistband of his boxers. He shivered as Musa ran her fingertips over the surface of them, to the tenting form of his erection. He moaned softly.

"Now don't make me have to gag you." Musa warned. Riven bit the inside of his lip as Musa lightly squeezed his crotch. He knew Musa enough to know she was serious about quieting him with force. Then Musa squeezed harder and he couldn't stop the yelp from escaping his lips.

Musa clucked. "Ooh, ooh. Looks like I spoke to soon." She quickly put a soft cloth gag on Riven. She resumed her playing. "Now on to seeing the prize." Musa murmured, teasingly pulling down Riven's shorts. He moaned in ecasaty when Musa's small hand wrapped around his erection. He trembled.

"Now you know the rules. No coming until I say- which may be a few hours." Musa cooed. Riven was breathing heavily now, thrashing his head from side to side.

"Let's see... Ah! Here they are." Musa chirped, pulling two more sets of handcuffs out. She quickly spread Riven's legs, handcuffing him to where he was spread- eagle on the bed. She stood back, admiring the prize in front of her. She licked her lips as she pulled her shirt, jeans, shoes, and socks off, leaving her in nothing but her undergarmets. She pulled Riven's blindfold off, letting him take her in. Musa sat on the edge of the bed, her hand on Riven's abs, watching has he quivered and tried to squirm away. Musa chuckled, smirking down on him. Her hand caressed his planes, teasing him, and coming just within centimeters away from his erection. He looked up Musa, his eyes beyond pleading. He so badly wanted her to touch him.

"In due time, baby." Musa purred. She held still for a few moments. Then she started her teasing again. She traced her index finger around his nipples. He shivered again. He was so close. He arched his back, his eyes rolling into the back off his head, gasping. Musa stopped. His breath came out in ragged pants, frustrated.

"Not yet." Musa murmured. She truley enjoyed bringing him to the edge. After all, she knew how to get under his skin. Musa went on tormenting Riven, for several hours. When she finally felt ready to relieve him, she simply put on a condom and straddled his waist, moaning when Riven finally gave it everything he had.

Helia confronted his brother the second he walked out of Musa's room.

"Dude? Seriously? You leave us to suffer the girls water fury?" Helia demanded.

"You guys had a water fight?" Riven asked.

"My hair is wet, isn't it?" Helia shook his head like a dog, spraying Riven with water.

"Hey!" Riven complained.

"Haha! Serves you-" Helia noticed red marks on Riven's wrists. He lashed out, inspecting his brother's forearm.

"Did Musa tie you up?" Helia asked.

"NO!" Riven exclaimed, pulling out of his brother's grasp.

"Right..." Helia said wickedly, following his brother down the stairs.

"It's the truth!" Riven called over his shoulder. "I know cuff marks when I see them!" Helia said, smirking as his brother picked up his pace.

Before Riven could retort, a scream sounded through the house. The brothers rushed down the stairs to where Chloe was staring at a dummy hanging from the doorframe. The dummy had long, waist length black hair, crudely drawn green eyes, and was dressed in gothic clothes. On it's chest was note impaled with a dagger above the place where a person's heart would be.

_Ross, this is your first warning! Bad things are to come if you don't leave the ranch! Beware! _The note said. In other words, Chloe was now a target for a potential murderer.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe it." Riven murmured for the fiftieth time that night. "Who the hell would want to threaten Chloe?"

"Don't know." Helia sighed. He and his brother was still up, trying to think of enemies their sister might have. Which was a lot.

"Why are you two still up?" A sleepy voice said from the doorway. The two brothers looked up to see Flora walking in.

"Go back to bed, Flora." Helia growled.

"Trying to think of anything that could have made an enemy of Chloe's threaten her." Riven said.

"Are you kidding me? Are you forgetting how long she's been fighting? She's been fighting since she was five! And she's been trying to protect you two since she was eight!" Flora snorted, sarcastically.

"We know." Helia snarled, falling into the cushions of the couch. Flora shrugged and walked into the kitchen and walked back out with a glass of water. "Let me know if you find anything." She called over her shoulder. With that, she was gone.

Flora couldn't help but keep wondering whether when Helia had sat down, he had wanted her to sit with him. His body language has said yes, but his mouth no. So, she had simply gotten what she had came for, and gone back upstairs. As she lay back in bed, a knock sounded on her door.

"It's open." Flora muttered. She turned on her side, facing the windows.

"Hey." Helia said, sitting on the other side of the bed. "If I seemed snappy downstairs, I didn't mean to be. I'm just on edge."

"Understandable." Flora murmured.

"So, you're not upset?" Helia asked, in surprise.

"Upset? Just a little." Flora said, rolling over to face her boyfriend.

Helia looked hurt. "Anyway I can make it up to you?" He asked.

"Don't let this distract you." Flora whispered.

"I think I can do better than that." Helia whispered back, leaning in, his lips landing on hers. Flora gasped, then moaned softly. He tasted subtley of honey. It must have been from the dessert earlier that night. Helia's tongue traced her lips, begging for enterance. Flora threw caution to the wind and consented. WIthin the next two hours, the two were sleeping peacefully side- by- side, still dreaming about the night.

Musa was down at the barn the next morning, feedin her horse Black Devil, when Flora walked in.

"Hey!" Musa grinned. "What's up?"

"I need some advice." Flora laughed, meekly, picking a brush up and walking into the stall next to Devil's. She started to brush her horse, Cattails.

"Sure. Watcha need?" Musa asked, also brushing Devil.

"What would you do if... um... If I said that... uh... Helia and I kinda... made the nest last night?" Flora asked, uncomfortably. Musa didn't say anything. She looked over Devil's back, at Flora, intently. Then she smiled a genueine smile

. "Congrats! Second step into becoming a real, bonded couple! Just take it slow and you two will be fine." Musa said.

"You're not freaking out?" Flora sounded surprised.

"Come here." Musa said, walking to the stall wall.

"What?" Flora quiered, joining Musa.

"Don't tell Riven I said this, but I'm pregnant." Musa whispered, a dreamy smile on her face. Flora's jaw dropped.

"Oh. My. GOD!" Flora squealed. "That is so cool!"

"What's so cool?" Tecna asked, walking in the barn, straight to her horse's stall, White Angel.

"Musa's pregnant." Flora whispered to the magenta- haired girl.

"Really? Have you told Riven?" Tecna asked, her eyes going wide. "

Told me what?" Riven asked, walking in.

"Nothing!" All three girls yelped. Riven looked dubious, but didn't question it. Instead, he got a bridle and saddle and walked down the hall to his horse's stall, Black Comet. He put on the gear, and galloped out of the barn, sparks flying from the horse's shoes.

"No way!" Chloe laughed, gleefully.

"That is so cool!"

"I know right?" Musa grinned. She had just gotten finished with playing a new song she had wrote. At that moment, Riven came galloping back up, drenched in water. He had a panicked look in his eyes as he swung off Comet.

"Chloe! The dam's busted up on Wolf Ridge!" Riven yelled, running up to the group.

"What?!" Chloe shrieked, jumping to her feet.

"Wolf Ridge. Dam's busted." Riven panted.

"Damn it!" Chloe yelled. "We need to get to the lower paddocks, NOW!"

"Why?" Duman called.

"Because all the foals that are being weaned are down there! They'll drown!" Chloe shouted back.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe was fast. She ran past the house, into the woods, and on to a trail. She didn't look to see if any of her friends were behind her. She knew they were. When the got to a hillside, they all saw Chloe looking to the west. Just a little over five miles away, trees were being demolished, a mudslide was being created, and water was coming at a frightening speed straight towards a barn in a low valley.

"Come on! We only have a few minutes!" Chloe screamed.

She bolted down the hill, with the others right behind her. When they got to the barn, they heard the scared whinneys of foals.

"There's twenty eight horses! Everybody grab two!" Chloe yelled, flinging open two stall doors nearby. Nobody- not even Stella- argued. They flew through the barn, hooking on lead ropes, and running with the foals to the crest of the hill. When they had gotten to top, they all realized something. Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

All eyes traveled back to the barn, where Chloe was leading the smallest foal out. The little thing was so panicked, that it completely stopped, scared to death.

"Black Jacket!" Musa breathed. It was her foal just as much as Chloe's. The foal was Black Devil's and Shadow Dancer's, Chloe's horse, baby.

"No you don't!" Riven said, grabbing Musa from behind, his arms wrapping around her, like constricting boas. She started screaming and kicking, but Riven wasn't going to give in that easily, no matter how hard Musa fought back. After nearly a lifetime, Chloe finally got to the top of the hill, just as the debris came into the valley. Chloe sighed in relief and Riven let go of Musa, who fell to her hands and knees.

"Let's get these babies to the main barn." Chloe murmured, not looking back at the damage.

As Duman finished putting out the last horse, he heard someone crying. He followed the sounds to the ladder of the hayloft. He climbed up and siliently crept to the farthest corner of the loft. He peered over a few bales of hay to see his girlfriend, Chloe, crying her heart out. He took a step back, not wanting to intrude, but hit his head on a nearby pole. He cursed.

"Duman?" Chloe asked weakly. Duman froze.

"Yeah, Chloe?" He whispered.

"Come here, please?" Chloe cried. Duman walked to the Goth girl, flinching inwardly when he saw the look on her face multiplied by ten considering her makeup was running.

"Hey. What's the matter?" Duman asked. _Stupid! She's upset!_ A voice screamed in his head.

"I don't know what to do. First the threat, then losing one of my biggest barns. I'm thinking I'm gonna have to shut down the ranch." Chloe sobbed.

"Don't say that! This place is your life. You spent your entire life on this ranch. You built with nothing but will and determination. That's gotta say something, right?" Duman shot back, gently.

Chloe looked at him for a few minutes. She smiled slightly. She leaned up and kissed him full on the lips. Downstairs, someone cranked the radio up when a country song started playing. Duman smiled inwardly when he realized what it was. _Brown Chicken, Brown Cow_ by Trace Adkins.


	4. Chapter 4

"I wish we could help Chloe." Flora sighed. She was tapping her fingers on the table, staring into the depths of her coffee.

"I got it! Why don't we make a list of things we can do?" Timmy snapped his fingers.

"Good idea!" Aisha pulled a lined notebook and pencil out of her backpack. She opened it up to the first blank page, and jotted something down on the top line.

"So who wants to go first?" Aisha asked.

"Well, we could start by getting some volunteers to help rebuild the weaning paddocks. Both Helia and I know a lot of people who'd be more than willing to help." Riven shrugged.

"Good." Aisha wrote it down. "Next?"

"How about a charity fundraiser added to the barn build. I mean, we'll need money for supplies. Concessions, games, the whole nine yards." Flora suggested.

"Oh! Add horse contests to that. Almost everyone on Stormicon will come to show off their horses." Helia piped up.

"Mmm-hmm. Okay. Nice." Aisha quickly wrote that down to.

"Oh! And a concert! I'll do it! Sing a few of my songs." Musa added. Aisha nodded and scribbled it down.

"And I can do a fashion show! I've already got a lot of country ideas." Stella put in. Aisha smiled.

Before anyone could add anything else, a voice from the doorway spoke.

"All good ideas, but it all won't be enough." Chloe said.

"It's better than nothing." Nabu quipped.

Chloe sighed and walked out. The two brothers glared at Nabu. He shrugged.

"So anyway, we have few ideas. We can probably put all of them together, into one big fundraiser." Aisha said, looking over her list.

"Well, let's get the fliers ready!" Bloom exclaimed. She rushed out the door, and came back a few moments later, paper, colored pens, and her computer in her arms. Within minutes, everyone was consumed in making the advertisments.

"Yes!" Riven whooped, waking everyone from a well deserved sleep. Riven was on the phone.

"Thanks a lot man; It'll be a big help." Riven grinned as he turned to his friends.

"Guess who I just got off the phone with?" Riven grinned.

"The manager of the one, the only, GARTH BROOKS!" Riven answered his only question.

Jaws dropped.

"Are you KIDDING ME?!" Musa squealed. "Do you have any idea how much I love his songs?"

"Listen. It gets better. Turns out, his manager saw one of our fliers and he wants to help. Said he'd be more than willing to perform at your concert, Musa." Riven grinned. Musa shrieked in joy and started bouncing off the walls.


	5. Chapter 5

"How do we look?" A voice asked from the top off the stairs. Riven and Helia were walking down the steps, grinning like identical madmen.

Flora let out a strangled shriek. Musa gasped and did a double take.

Helia had his hair down except for two braids on either of his temples, Indian style. He had on a brown cowboy hat with a gold rim. He had on brown cowboy boots, Wranglers, and a dark blue and green polo shirt. Around his waist was a black, leather belt with a silver buckle.

Riven's normally, gelled, straight up hair was pulled back in ponytail, making him look completely normal. He had on a black cowboy hat with a silver rim. He also had on brown cowboy boots and Wranglers, but he wore a red and black polo shirt. He wore no belt.

"Uh- I- Um..." Musa stammered, not noticing her non-caffinated coffee was running over the top of the cup, over her hand, or on to the counter.

"Ready... Uh... For a horse contest of some sort?" Flora squeaked. She couldn't peel her eyes from Helia appearence.

"Ding, ding! Right! The barrel races to be exact." Riven grinned. He took the coffee pot from Musa and cleaned the mess up.

"Yipe! Sorry!" Musa yelped.

"No prob." Riven grinned. "You gonna cheer me on this morning?"

"Yes! Duh!" Musa snorted.

"Cool!" Riven laughed.

_"Ladies and genlemen, boys and girls! Our next contest, The Barrel Races! Starting with..."_

Niether Flora nor Musa listened. They were waiting for their boyfriends to perform, who were last.

After nearly an hour, the two brothers trotted to the main gates. They noticed the two girls and urged their horses over.

"The fastest time to beat, so far, is 16.5. That's gonna be tough." Riven sighed.

_"Next up, is the owner of this ranch, Miss Chloe Ross!"_

The announcer said. The two boys faces went slack with shock. They looked at each other as Chloe trotted out on to the arena, waving.

When the buzzer sounded, she kicked her horse, Shadow Dancer, in the side with her spurs. The horse shot off with blazing speed. When the horse came back, the clock said 14.9.

"Damn." Helia muttered.

"Good luck, brothers!" Chloe chirped walking by. She earned two icy stares. Helia then walked out in the arena and rushed around the barrels with a time of 15.8.

"Not bad!" Chloe praised.

"Good luck Riven!" Musa called as Riven walked out.

Riven motioned to the timekeeper to wait a few minutes before starting the time. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, shutting out all noise around him. He siliently counted the seconds to when the time would start.

_5... 4... 3... 2..._

Riven's eyes flew open and he urged Black Comet into a dead, flat out run. Chloe always said be careful when running a horse around the barrels. But Riven knew when to turn his horse. As he came back down the homestretch, he whipped and kick his horse, urging Comet faster. Shoulders hunched, head down, he crossed the finish line and galloped off, not even looking at his time of 13.2.

"Aaahhh!" Chloe screamed. She was holding a letter in her hand, her face was paler than anyone had ever seen.

"What's wrong, Chloe?" Stella asked.

"I- I just got a letter from the bank. A letter of foreclosure, and that I don't have any money bank to pay for the expenses." Chloe whispered.

"What?!" Riven and Helia exclaimed at the same time. They were up and looking over their sister's shoulder at the same time.

"First threatened, now this. What am I going to do?" Chloe whispered. Her legs collapsed out from under her, the stress to much.


	6. Chapter 6

It was well past midnight, and everyone was in the same places they were a week before.

"Listen to her." Musa murmured. Upstairs, everyone could hear Chloe crying

"She's heartbroken." Flora sighed, her head in her hands.

"How much is she in debt?" Stella asked, finishing counting the money from the first day's of their fundraiser.

"Five thousand." Riven murmured, raising the lip of his sixth beer to his mouth. Just as he was about to swallow a gulp, Musa snatched the beer from him and threw it in the sink, the glass shattering.

"You. Bed. Now. I'm not gonna deal with a drunk boyfriend tonight, or a hungover one tomorrow." Musa growled. Riven stared at her with bloodshot eyes. Then he stood and walked up the steps, the sound of his bedroom door slamming behind him.

"Well, I just counted twelve hundred dollars. And that's just for today. If we can keep the amount up by this much, it'll pull her out of debt in five days. Then we'll have to think of something else." Stella sighed.

"You said five days? Just two weeks from now, there's the All Races Race. Barrel Racing, Jumping, Cross- Country, Racing, Flag Racing, every kind you can think of. The winner gets five thousand dollars if they win all of them. Each day there's different contest. It's normally ten days long. But, Riven nor I are ready for it. And Chloe'll say it's a long shot." Riven said.

"What about me?" Musa asked. All the girls choked. They all stood up, going off on her like five nuclear bombs.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Stella snapped.

"In your condition?" Tecna screeched.

"You'd risk everything!" Bloom snarled.

"You can barely even ride!" Flora growled.

"What happened to the Musa I knew? I know she wouldn't do something she barely knows how to do!" Aisha exclaimed.

All the boys looked on as the girls ganged up on Musa.

"I know how to ride! I take risks. I'm only two weeks along! No, I'm perfectly sane. I'm still the Musa you know." Musa quipped back, standing up.

"Prove it. Saturday, in the arena. Helia and Riven will set everything up. We'll Chloe say what she thinks." Duman challenged.

"Fine." Musa crossed her arms. "It's on."

"Done." Duman said.

Just like Stella, they pulled Chloe out of debt in five days, which seemed to lighten her mood.

On Saturday, everyone was waiting on Musa in the arena, who had gone out early that morning on Devil.

They all looked up to see Musa pounding through the gates and to the first jump and flag. As she jumped over it, she grabbed the flag, and then ran around the first barrel, grabbing a second flag. She went over the second jump, grabbing another flag as she jumped. She continued this until she got to the last barrel, where she dropped all flags in a bucket at once. Jaws dropped.

"Perfect!" Chloe screamed, running to her friend. She started telling Musa on what dressage movements she wanted the girl to do. Flying Changes, Piaffe, Tempo, etc, etc.

Musa did all with ease, causing Chloe squeal in delight.

"We may have a chance!" Chloe yipped, jumping around- literally. "Musa, you may be our key to saving the ranch!"

"Cool!" Musa grinned under her red and black cowboy hat.

"Oooh, I'm going to get the registration papers!" Chloe ran off, and came back seconds later, a folder in hand. She sat down and started filling it out.

Now, anyone had to do, was wait for the first day.


	7. Chapter 7

"You ready?" Riven asked Musa, as he adjusted Black Devil's and Black Comet's saddles. He was going to run on the cross country with her, to make sure she stayed safe. That had been the deal. At least one of the three could go in the cross country race and race. And Musa had chosen Riven.

"Yeah." Musa said, fidgeting with her watch. She kept glancing at the time and tapping her foot. Riven noticed.

"Hey." Riven said, taking Musa's hands in his. "Nothing to be nervous about. Remember the game plan? We go half a mile running, then we pace the horses. When they think we dropped back, they'll slow down, and we'll surge. Right?"

"Yeah." Musa's eyes lit up.

"There's my girl." Riven grinned, helping Musa on Devil. He then swung up on Comet and the two walked out of their stalls and down the hall.

When they were at the starting line, they noticed Chloe standing at their marks.

"What's up?" Musa asked.

"Flora told me, and I want you to be careful. That's all." Chloe said, referring to Musa's pregnancy. Musa simply nodded. Riven arched an eyebrow, then shrugged it off.

"Good luck, you two!" Helia shouted from the stands. Riven flashed him a thumbs-up.

_"Racers, to your marks. The race is five miles long, with hills, mountains, water, and plains of any kind. So get ready!" _The annoucer said.

Musa and Riven looked at each other and guided their horses to their marks.

The bullet shot sounded out and the horses took off. Musa and Riven stayed side by side, just as they had during practice. Both could feel the tension in their horse's ribs. They were wanting to run. As they flew down their designated path, they came upon a fallen tree trunk. The two jumped over it at the same time.

* * *

As they went over the jump, Riven glanced over at Musa. Thor Almighty, she was beautiful. When jumping over the tree, her hair blew back in the wind. She was smiling, tossing her head like a filly.

The horses landed on the opposite side of the trunk and took off, faster than Riven could imagine. He clutched the reins tight, afraid he might fall off. Riven didn't look at Musa. He knew she was enjoying herself.

As they rounded a bend, there was the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Riven and Musa pulled their horses to a stop, listening. The other racers did the same.

"If the skies open up..." Riven whispered. "The trails will wash out and the river will rise up. And Stormicon's rains are usually monsoons. You can't see a foot in front of you."

"Should they cancel the race?" Musa asked. Devil tossed his head, nervous. Musa shushed him, watching as Riven studied the sky. She could almost see the gears turn in his head.

"They won't." Riven said, urging Comet to a trot. "We just need to take it slow."

"Okay." Musa said.

The two remained silient. Riven finally broke it as they came to the river. As they waded through it, he asked the question on his mind.

"What are you and the other girls acting so strange? Something you hiding from me?" Riven asked.

"Huh? Oh. No, no. I'm just talking with the girls about something to save the ranch." Musa was obviously lying, but Riven again let it go.

Suddenly, a energy blast came out of nowhere.

The announcer's voice. _"Ohhh! Looks like the Tribal Patron Stables team has entered the first obstacle! Lightning Woods!" _

"Damn it! Run!" Riven shouted. He urged Comet into a gallop, Devil and Musa right behind him.

Riven noticed a sharp turn up ahead and saw the mud. Quicksand Bend.

"Get ready to jump!" Riven called. He shortened his reins.

At the exact time he turned, he gave Black Comet the signal to leap in the air. As he did so, a bolt of lightning struck him down, straight into the muck. He yelled in fear and anger.

"Riven!" Musa made it safely across, turning to her beau.

"Go! Don't worry about me!" Riven snarled.

"To hell with that!" Musa snapped back, uncurling her rope and tossing it in the air. It landed around Riven's waist.

"Hold on!" Musa shouted, looping the rope around her own saddle horn and Comet's, pushing them to pull the slack out of the cord. After doing this, Devil and Comet strained to pull the boy out.

Riven was finally pulled out of the muck, and collapsed on the ground.

"Thanks." He panted out.

"Get on." Musa said, handing Comet's reins back to Riven. He did so.

"HIYA!" Both teenagers shouted at the same time. They were both thinking the same thing.

_**So much for the plan.**_

* * *

"AH!" Musa screamed, drawing Devil to a stop. Riven did the same.

"Damn it! There's worse damage than I thought from that wind storm from earlier." Riven cursed. "And there's no way I can make it. I haven't Comet for that high a jump."

There was a tree at least seven feet high laying horizontally on the trail. It had to be five feet across.

At that moment, Riven heard shouting in the distance. The other competitors.

"Muse, you have to win this thing. Go, quickly. I'll have to go around and be disqualified." Riven turned Comet towards the woods and left Musa in a cloud of dust.

Musa sucked in a deep breath of air, and took off. She cleared the jump and took off running.

A horse came alongstride with her. A competitor from another ranch. The rider's face was set with determination.

"C'mon Devil. You can do it. For me. For Chloe." Musa whispered in her horse's ear. The horse whinnied and suddenly surged.

Musa closed her eyes.

_"And the winner is TPS!"_ The announcer shouted.

"YES!" Chloe screamed from the stands. She jumped out and ran towards Musa.

"You did it!" Riven shouted, coming up beside Musa, grinning. "You won the race!"

Musa smiled brightly. So far, she was off to a great start.


End file.
